1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods and systems for electrochemically producing electrical power using metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ever-expanding range of electrical systems and devices are vital to the normal continuation of daily life for individuals and businesses in today""s society. Such systems and devices include portable devices (radio/tape/CD/DVD systems, PDA devices, notebook computers, cell phones, video equipment, calculators, fans, lawn mowers, screw drivers, drills, saws), appliances (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, toasters, televisions, audio equipment, washing machines, ovens, stoves, and furnaces), transportation devices (power passenger vehicles, buses, golf carts, motorcycles, boats, etc), computer processing and telecommunication equipment (servers, desktop computers, communication routing and switching systems) and the electrical infrastructure in homes, schools, factories, and office buildings.
Traditionally, the utility-maintained power grid provides power to these vital systems and devices. However, the reliability of this power grid is fragile and can be compromised by unpredictable severe weather (snow/ice storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes), system failure (excessive demand, lack of supply of natural gas to generation systems) and/or human error.
For example, during the week of Jan. 5, 1998, a severe freezing-rain storm hit Canada and the northeastern United States as warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico encountered cold Arctic air in three Canadian provinces and in northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Ice accumulation on trees and overhead lines caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in both the United States and Canada and left hundreds of thousands of people without power for periods ranging from a few hours to more than three weeks. In the United States the President declared disasters in five New York counties, six Vermont counties, and all New Hampshire and Maine counties except along the coast.
In another example, during the unusually hot summer of 1988, the power infrastructure of Auckland, New Zealand unpredictably could not handle the stress caused by the extreme demand, and the aging underground transmission cables that were vital to feeding the city with electricity failed in succession. Full service was not restored for five to eight weeks.
Thus, previous failures of the power grid have shown that the disruptions caused by such failures can be massive, especially if the failures are prolonged.
Alternate forms of power generation systems have been proposed as the primary source of power (and, possibly, the auxiliary source of power) for the broad range of electrical systems and devices used by individuals and businesses in today""s society. These alternate forms of power generation systems include, for example, solar-powered generation systems, wind-powered generation systems, and hydroelectric generation systems. However, the reliability of many of these alternate power generation systems is also fragile. For example, the supply of power from solar-powered generation systems/wind-powered generation systems/hydroelectric generation systems can be unpredictably interrupted for prolonged periods of time due to weather conditions (lack of sunlight/lack of wind/severe drought conditions).
In such systems, interruptions can lead to unwanted disruptions, especially if the interruptions are prolonged.
Traditionally, auxiliary power generation devices using batteries, gasoline engines or diesel engines are used to provide backup power in the event that such a prolonged interruption occurs in the utility-maintained power grid (or other primary power source). These systems too have serious limitations.
More specifically, auxiliary power generation devices that use conventional battery technology (lead acid, nickel-cadmium, or nickel-metal hydrides) have limited operation time, long recharge time, and low energy density; thus making such devices impractical for many applications. Moreover, replacement of such batteries is costly and raises numerous environmental hazards (that typically are dealt with using special encapsulation containers and careful disposal).
Similarly, auxiliary power generation devices that use combustible fuel (such as gasoline and diesel engine generators) are costly, heavy, loud, emit noxious gases and fumes; thus making such devices impractical for many applications. Moreover, such devices raise numerous environmental and safety hazards related to the transportation and use of the combustible fuels used therein.
Thus, there is a great need in the art to provide a reliable (i.e., not susceptible to prolonged interruption), efficient, user friendly, environment friendly and safe source of power for the broad range of electrical systems and devices that are vital to individuals and businesses in today""s society.
Accordingly, a prime object of the present invention is to substitute the traditional power supply units and methodologies (typically, one or more switching power regulators) integrated in an electrical system or device with an integrated power supply unit comprising one or more rechargeable and refuelable metal-air FCB-based subsystems. This solution is, energy efficient, environmentally-friendly, and reliable, thus enabling consumers to use the system/device without the risk and limitations of prolonged interruption. Moreover, the solution is cost-effect because it eliminates the need for auxiliary power generation systems by integrating the rechargeable and refuelable metal-air FCB-based subsystem into the system/device. The electrical system or device may be a computer processing apparatus, a portable electronic device (such as radio, disc player, other music playing devices, camcorder, other video playing/recording devices, telephone, PDA, other communication devices), an appliance (such as television, audio equipment, washing machine, refrigerator, freezer, oven, stove, furnace, air conditioner) or an electrically-powered tool.
Another object of the present invention is to provide improved systems, apparatus and methods for electrochemically providing electrical power to electrical devices and systems while overcoming all of the limitations of known battery and conventional power generating technologies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance with a refuelable and rechargable power supply unit integrated therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance with a system housing and a refuelable and rechargable metal-air based power supply unit integrated into the system housing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance and integrated refuelable and rechargable metal-air FCB based power supply unit, wherein the power supply unit comprises a control subsystem that automatically transitions between discharging mode and recharging mode for the metal-air FCB subsystems therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance and integrated refuelable and rechargable metal-air FCB based power supply unit, wherein supply of electrical power to the electrical power-consuming load device in the appliance is supplied solely by a metal-air fuel cell battery subsystem.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance and integrated refuelable and rechargable metal-air FCB based power supply unit, wherein electrical power provided to the electrical power-consuming load device in the appliance is supplied solely by electrical power generated by discharging metal-fuel in a metal-air fuel cell battery subsystem.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance and integrated refuelable and rechargable metal-air FCB based power supply unit, wherein an input power bus and output power bus are both coupled to a metal-air fuel cell battery subsystem, the input power bus providing an electrical connection from an external power source to the metal-fuel cell battery subsystem in the recharging mode to thereby recharge the metal-air fuel cell battery system, and the output power bus providing an electrical connection from the metal-fuel cell battery subsystem to the electrical power-consuming load device(s) in the appliance in the discharging mode to thereby provide electrical power to the electrical power-consuming load device(s). The metal-air fuel cell battery subsystem may comprise a network of metal-air fuel cell modules each comprising one or more metal-air fuel cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an appliance and integrated refuelable and rechargable metal-air FCB based power supply unit, wherein the metal-air fuel cell battery subsystem comprises a network of metal-air fuel cell modules each comprising one or more metal-air fuel cells, and a switching network, under control of a control subsystem, that selectively couples the input power bus and output power bus to the power terminals of the network (and that selectively couples together the power terminals of the network).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air FCB system that enables efficient, automated, flexible and user-friendly refueling operations in such metal-air FCB systems, and the replacement of cathode elements and ionically conducting medium by consumers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein metal-fuel is provided within a modular housing that is manually insertable/removable within an aperture of the metal-air FCB system, to thereby enable efficient, flexible and user-friendly refueling operations of such metal-air FCB systems by consumers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein cathode structures are provided within a modular housing that is manually insertable/removable within an aperture of the metal-air FCB system, to thereby enable efficient, flexible and user-friendly replacement of cathode elements in such metal-air FCB systems by consumers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air FCB system, wherein metal-fuel cards are manually insertable/removable within an aperture of the metal-air FCB system, to thereby enable efficient, flexible and user-friendly replacement of metal-fuel cards in such metal-air FCB systems by consumers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein a card structure comprising cathode elements is manually insertable/removable within an aperture of the metal-air FCB system, to thereby provide efficient, flexible and user-friendly operations that are suitable for consumers in replacing cathode elements of such metal-air FCB systems.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal-air FCB system wherein metal-fuel tape is housed in a cassette-type cartridge that is manually insertable/removable within an aperture of a metal-air FCB system, to thereby provide efficient, flexible and user-friendly operations that are suitable for consumers in replacing the metal-fuel tape of such metal-air FCB systems.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal-air FCB system wherein metal fuel paste is housed in a modular container that is manually insertable/removable within an aperture of a metal-air FCB system, to thereby enable efficient, flexible and user-friendly replacement of the metal-fuel paste in such metal-air FCB systems by consumers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein a modular structure including a cathode element (that interfaces to a metal-fuel paste container) is manually insertable/removable within an aperture of the metal-air FCB system, to thereby enable efficient, flexible and user-friendly replacement of the cathode elements in such metal-air FCB systems by consumers.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.